We have seen it and said it in the past – Apple may not be the best at innovating, but they sure know how to make an idea popular. Their next goal seems to be a very ambitious one – taking on Google Now. A bit on Google Now Android’s digital assistant is more than […]

We have seen it and said it in the past – Apple may not be the best at innovating, but they sure know how to make an idea popular. Their next goal seems to be a very ambitious one – taking on Google Now.

A bit on Google Now

Android’s digital assistant is more than a cool app you can ask questions to. Google Now is a complete tool that brings you information when you most need it. It takes information from your email, calendar, searches, apps and other sources in order to bring you the right data at the right time.

Got an email with your flight pass? Google Now will pull that out and keep you updated on your flight status. Likewise, it can remind you of upcoming events. You get the point – it’s an awesome tool that goes beyond searches and simple commands.

How will Apple combat Google Now?

The latest rumors say Apple has been working on something similar to Google Now for years. In fact, Apple is said to have begun building this service’s foundation since they acquired Cue, back in 2013.

This new service is currently code-named “Proactive” and does just what the name entails, it brings you information… proactively. Like Google Now, Apple’s Proactive will take information from emails, Calendar, Contacts, Siri, Passbook and third-party apps and curate valuable information to present it to you in a timely and organized fashion.

It’s also said to work well with Apple Maps, as it will serve as a tool to bring you points of interest around your vicinity. You know, just in case you are feeling like having dinner, grabbing a drink or visiting some nearby attractions.

Where will Apple’s Proactive live?

The plan seems to be to replace the Spotlight pull-down section with this new services. In short: Proactive will live in your notification area, which actually makes total sense. That area is already where you look to get all your newest notifications. It actually seems more seamless than accessing Google Now on Android.

It’s said this section will also have a large focus on news, and will feature a search area you can easily access for more details on whatever it is you may be looking for.

When will Proactive launch?

This part is still a bit unclear, and it’s because the internal sources who unveiled this project claim executives are still a bit broken on the decision. One option would be to announce this service as a completely new service. The second option would be to release these as incremental features that would be added to Siri, Maps, Contacts, etc.

We are not sure when this will all happen, but work seems to be well underway. It’s said to all become much more clear after Apple’s yearly WWDC developer conference, come June 8th.

Can Apple beat Google Now?

Google Now is a force to be reckoned with. And we won’t say it’s only because of its features and functionality. It’s mostly because it’s backed by Google and all its services. It’s hard to compete against a service with full integration to Gmail, Google Maps, Android and Google Search. I mean, those are the biggest competitors in their respective categories!

That’s not to say Apple doesn’t have some fighting power. Apple is… Apple, after all. They are the company to fear in this industry, and I am sure whatever they end up doing will be great, as well as popular. I just don’t know if I am ready to leave my Google services yet. That is certainly something no one can take from Google Now.

]]>http://www.mobilegeeks.com/n-apple-proactive-google-now/feed/027461What I Missed When I Gave Up my Apple Watchhttp://www.mobilegeeks.com/what-i-missed-when-i-gave-up-my-apple-watch/
http://www.mobilegeeks.com/what-i-missed-when-i-gave-up-my-apple-watch/#commentsWed, 27 May 2015 07:00:02 +0000http://www.mobilegeeks.com/?p=27323

There is no shortage of articles on the web, all talking about how the Apple watch is good, but it’s not quite there. I thought I would share with you what I missed most when I gave up my Apple Watch after wearing it for two weeks. My wrists have been naked for years. I […]

There is no shortage of articles on the web, all talking about how the Apple watch is good, but it’s not quite there. I thought I would share with you what I missed most when I gave up my Apple Watch after wearing it for two weeks.

My wrists have been naked for years. I haven’t played with many smartwatches because most of them have been too big for my wrist. I have spent time wearing the LG Watch Urbane running Android Wear 5.1, which finally made sense to me. The Apple Watch was the same when I put it on – I could see how it would save me from pulling out my smartphone as often as I do.

What time is it?

On my first day without using the Apple Watch, the reason I kept looking at my wrist wasn’t for notifications or to check my steps, but simply to check the time. To be honest I didn’t see that coming, but it makes total sense. The sad thing about this realization is that I could have a device with several years battery life if I went back to wearing an old school wrist watch… but what’s the fun in that?

Get off the damn chair!

The health features I found myself yearning for was the reminder to stand up and walk around after an hour of inactivity. If you’re a desk jockey like myself, it’s easy to an hour to go by and not even realize that you’ve been sedentary. The health features giving me an exercise, stand and step goal are fantastic! But, there are fitness trackers out there that do pretty much the same thing for a lot less money. Take the Xiaomi Mi Band as an example, it’s $13 and has 2 months of battery life.

Siri… friend… where are you?

If you’ve embraced the Apple Watch, you’ve gotten close to Siri as she is the most powerful app available on your wrist. The thing you have to get over when talking to Siri is, well, talking to yourself. To talk to Siri you really have to commit. There is a significant pause, so don’t repeat yourself and be confident that she heard you. As a Android user, I’ve been training with Google Now, and on Windows Phone Cortana clearly has them both beat. So even if I leave iOS i’ll still be able to talk to myself, it’s just a little different doing it with the Apple Watch. Since it’s not available in Taiwan, as an early adopter there is always the joy of showing off a little bit.

Letting my inner creep come out

When I first read about lonely people sending each other their heart beats, I thought this was really creepy. I had one friend to play with – Doug. When we first played around with this setting it was pretty strange. Then I embraced the the creep factor and lusted after finding new people to send my heart beat to. There is an uncomfortable closeness that you feel with someone when you feel their heart beat on your wrist. The thing about being a tech blogger is that the only other people you know who have them are your peers. Suddenly you’re asking Dana Wollman over at Engadget and Michael Fisher from PocketNow to send you their heartbeats. When I saw that Jaime from PocketNow had the Apple Watch on a recent trip to Beijing, I yearned for my Apple Watch so that I could put the eep in creep with Jaime. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing that the Apple Watch unleashed my inner… freak? Regardless, when I took it off this was something that I missed.

Staying in touch

Of course there is a host of other things that were great, but I didn’t personally need/like. Email on my wrist. I’m not really a slave to this activity and find that if I check my email too much without taking action, then I miss responding to things. Plus I get a lot of press releases and spam, so I don’t really want to have these bothering me all the time. I might have liked having Facebook messaging on my wrist, but again, I try to only do that a few times a day. Facebook is a time sucker and I don’t want to be so easily drawn in. Plus, you can’t read your Facebook messages, you can only see who sent them. I’d want to read the message and then decide if I want to pull out my phone to answer.

The one thing, in terms of messaging, that I did get into a little bit was sending voice messages. Again, you just need to commit to talking to yourself and you can’t be someone who talks in two languages. This is annoying for a lot of people I know.

Conclusion

I know there are a lot of cool things about the Apple Watch. When I have time I want to make a series about cooking with the Apple Watch. This isn’t something that I’d be willing to pay $350 for… or the cheapest price on Amazon, which is currently at $535.

I do have to give it to Apple. I never thought that they’d cause me to crave an uncomfortable sharing of bodily functions. The eerie rhythmic tapping of someone else’s heartbeat on your wrist is simply scandalous. I’m not sure if Apple meant for this to be a front of innovation, but it is. Is it worth buying an Apple Watch for? I guess it depends… how committed are you to your inner creep?

]]>http://www.mobilegeeks.com/what-i-missed-when-i-gave-up-my-apple-watch/feed/127323Do you mind large phone bezels? Here are the best phones for you!http://www.mobilegeeks.com/n-phone-bezel-ratio/
http://www.mobilegeeks.com/n-phone-bezel-ratio/#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 00:51:31 +0000http://www.mobilegeeks.com/?p=27284

Large bezels are something we lived with for a long time, and it was something reasonable. We didn’t expect those areas surrounding the screen to suddenly disappear, right? Now that we rock much larger phones, we begin to beg for larger screen-to-bezel ratios. Is this an issue that has affected you? It sure has affected […]

Large bezels are something we lived with for a long time, and it was something reasonable. We didn’t expect those areas surrounding the screen to suddenly disappear, right? Now that we rock much larger phones, we begin to beg for larger screen-to-bezel ratios.

Is this an issue that has affected you? It sure has affected me. It’s still not an important deciding factor when purchasing a phone, but it sure annoys me to see that certain phones are much larger, even if screens are comparable to their competition.

On the other hand, we know some of you are very much into keeping a healthy bezel around. Why is that? Well, let’s jump into the pros and cons to see which is the better option for each of you.

Why we should get rid of bezels as much as possible

As we mentioned above, the size is really a differentiating factor that really makes us consider bezel-less phones nowadays. We have huge screens. And if we can avoid having a significantly larger phone, than we are all for it.

Phones with a high screen-to-bezel ratio are easier to handle, fit better in your pocket and offer a much better grip. Not to mention, phones with mostly screen in the front look damn sexy!

Why a healthy bezel is good

Notice I say “healthy”. Some bezels are way offensive. I mean, just look at the iPhone 5s. That thing has a tiny screen, yet the phone is larger than many other phones, even many with larger displays. Keep that in mind – we are talking about an acceptable amount of bezel here.

With that in mind, we would like to tell you that bezels are not really all that bad. I mean they offer a good grip on your phone. And because the display is surrounded by a larger amount of material, this means it will be harder to crack that screen.

Also, I have been one to make a bunch of accidental presses with phones that have very thin bezels. They are a bit more comfortable to hold and offer a better grip. Not to mention, having more bezel also means having more space for your phone components. That Sharp AQUOS Crystal phone doesn’t look like the best selfie cam, all because they had to stick the front-facing camera on the bottom of the device.

Which do you prefer?

Now you tell us – which do you prefer? I happen to be more of a bezel-less guy, but this is because I also happen to love huge screen.

Tell us in the comments and take a look at the infographic below to see which phones are the best for you.

You have seen Jony Ive, right? It’s that Apple guy with the British accent, commonly known as the one responsible for much of Apple’s designs. He is now a very important part of Apple and has landed in another position. Apple has named Ive Chief Design Officer. What does that even mean? Well, it means […]

You have seen Jony Ive, right? It’s that Apple guy with the British accent, commonly known as the one responsible for much of Apple’s designs. He is now a very important part of Apple and has landed in another position. Apple has named Ive Chief Design Officer.

What does that even mean? Well, it means you will start hearing much more inspirational videos on Apple product designs, narrated by that same soothing British voice. This is because this change in position would allow Jony Ive to focus much more on what he actually loves – design.

“We are thrilled to announce that Jony Ive has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Design Officer at Apple. In this new role, he will focus entirely on current design projects, new ideas and future initiatives. Jony’s day-to-day managerial responsibilities will be handed off to his longtime collaborators Richard Howarth, VP of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, VP of User Interface Design.”

It’s said Jony Ive doesn’t like the administrative and managerial side of his work, so he must be happy he is unloading that weight on two of his new. From now on, he will be directly in charge of Apple’s UI, ID and store designs world-wide. This means he will be traveling more and becoming much more hands on in his new position.

In short, he will be allowed to be the dreamer and artist he has always been. This new position seems like a good idea, really. Design is an important part in all sides of Apple’s business. From the Apple store’s door to the box where your phone comes, everything is orchestrated in a certain way.

What I do wonder is whether this will have a direct impact on our experience. With more free time on his hands, does this mean Apple’s products and software will begin seeing much more significant changes? Some of us would love to see what Jony Ive can come up with. We do know some of you Apple fans may worry about any sudden evolution, though.

Have you gotten your dose of Apple news this week? We have covered more than enough in the regular news, but we know some of you want even more. Here’s a good fix for all you Apple fans out there! Apple Watch in stores by June It’s still a bit hard to get your hands […]

During the same trip to China, Tim Cook also mentioned that one of the main reasons to come to the Asian country was to meet with possible Apple Pay partners. This would include banks and retailers. He also said he hopes Apple can get Apple Pay running in China “soon”.

This is not really telling us much in terms of possible launch windows, but it’s a good sign that Apple Pay is well on its way to China.

Apple announced some great products these morning, but they also had something up their sleeve. Something we weren’t expecting and don’t really want, because it’s kind of lame and over-priced. We don’t happen to like it much, so we have put together a list of great alternatives you can purchase instead of Apple’s official product. […]

Apple announced some great products these morning, but they also had something up their sleeve. Something we weren’t expecting and don’t really want, because it’s kind of lame and over-priced. We don’t happen to like it much, so we have put together a list of great alternatives you can purchase instead of Apple’s official product.

Let’s talk a little bit about Apple’s official dock first, though. It’s worth $39 and pretty much gives a place for your device to sit in. It has a lightning connector and works with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5 and 5th-gen iPod Touch.

It would work with the iPads too, I suppose, but the size is too small to really support those larger tablets. It’s tiny, simple and looks super fragile, so I am not sure if it will even handle the iPhone 6 Plus well in the long run.

So this one is a bit simple too, but it looks much cooler than the lame Apple dock. It raises your phone or tablet closer to eye-level and supports lightning ports. By the way, yes, it does support tablets, just not the bigger iPads. You will have to stick to the iPad Mini.

I believe it looks super dope and costs a bit less than Apple’s official alternative. And really, it will ultimately do the same.

Sometimes you have to charge multiple devices. Maybe you have multiple iPhones in the family, or you have an iPad laying around. The FUZ EverDock Duo may be your best solution. It’s awesome, to put it bluntly.

The best part is that this dock doesn’t limit you to specific devices, as you simply arrange the cabling and place the port where the device would go. You can use microUSB, MiniUSB, USB-C, Lightning or whatever you may have. Sure, the price may be a bit steep, but it could be worth it for the office warrior.

Want something cheap and functional? The Belkin Charge & Sync dock will do the job for a very low price. It is compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhont 5 and iPhone 5S. There’s also versions for older iPhones and for Android. It’s really the best option if you are on a budget.

Want something with a little more style? I happen to love wood. It feels very natural, looks amazing and has this elegance you really can’t beat. The guys at Eimolife make an awesome wooden dock lightning iPhones. It is gorgeous, guys!

Who wants all those features, right? Maybe you just want a stand that will do its job and look good while doing so. You will love the sleek and minimal design of this stand, which, by the way, looks a lot like what Apple does with the iMac stand.

]]>http://www.mobilegeeks.com/apple-iphone-dock-alternatives/feed/127053Everything there is to know about the new MacBook Pro and a 5K iMachttp://www.mobilegeeks.com/n-apple-macbook-pro-imac-retina/
http://www.mobilegeeks.com/n-apple-macbook-pro-imac-retina/#respondTue, 19 May 2015 18:57:39 +0000http://www.mobilegeeks.com/?p=27045

Apple impressed us with a couple impromptu announcements this morning. They introduced a couple new additions to their PC line-up. Are you looking for a new computer? The Cupertino giant has put together cheaper alternatives to one of their most expensive computers, as well as more expensive versions of their high-end laptop. New iMac with Retina 5K display […]

Apple impressed us with a couple impromptu announcements this morning. They introduced a couple new additions to their PC line-up. Are you looking for a new computer? The Cupertino giant has put together cheaper alternatives to one of their most expensive computers, as well as more expensive versions of their high-end laptop.

New iMac with Retina 5K display

The first would be a new version of the iMac with Retina 5K display. The main difference is that it comes with a 1 TB drive, as opposed to the Fusion drive, and it has a slightly less powerful processor. This drives the price down to $1999, which definitely makes this a much more enticing computer.

I mean, come on. That iMax with Retina 5K display was too expensive at $2500, which leads us to the second part of today’s iMac news. It seems Apple realized they were asking a bit too much for the original 5K computer, and so they have taken the price down to $2299 for the higher-end, original version.

New iMac with Retina 4K display specs

New 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

Looking for something a bit more portable? Apple also revealed a new version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. They are very similar to the previous versions of the laptop, with the only main difference being the addition of the Force Touch trackpad.

For those who haven’t heard about this new trackpad, it uses new technology to distinguish the force you use to press on it. This allows for new features and gestures, like having the ability to perform different actions when you press with various levels of force.

There are certain people in this industry that can stop a crowd whenever they speak. And it’s not because of their positions, but because of what took them there. One of them was former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, a man who changed the world and wouldn’t stop and have it any other way. He didn’t […]

There are certain people in this industry that can stop a crowd whenever they speak. And it’s not because of their positions, but because of what took them there. One of them was former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, a man who changed the world and wouldn’t stop and have it any other way. He didn’t want to do great things… he had to.

This man has passed away and left an immense legacy to us, but his chosen heir to the Apple crown was Tim Cook. There must be a reason why Tim Cook was chosen, but sadly we don’t hear too much about his endeavors. The new CEO is known for being a bit more shy, but when he does open his mouth, we listen.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage at George Washington University’s campus, where he spoke to a graduating class about his past, the present and our future. You can expect the speech to be very inspirational, and you will likely shed a tear or two.

Cook speaks about changing the world, and how working at Apple has helped him do that. And not only because they make great technology, but because Apple has its moral standards. The company believes in doing good, and they strive to do it all the time.

“You don’t have to choose between doing good and doing well.” -Tim Cook, Apple CEO

Tim then goes on to speak about the most important part of his speech. He speaks about cynics and people who “stand on the sidelines” telling you something can’t be done. It seems that is something that simply doesn’t roll in Silicon Valley, a place he believes has no limitations. Especially at Apple, where he states one can walk into a room full of Apple engineers and say something is impossible – they simply won’t take that.

This is the world of technology we live in, guys. Anyone who is in this industry “for the money” should really consider something else. This industry is about a generation of people who want to do something special. They want to change the world, and will have it no other way. If you are in this to pay your rent, that’s “just a job”.

The speech is awesome and very much worth the 21 minutes. Especially for those few times he stopped and joked about Apple and the competition!

And when you are done, why don’t you take a look at Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement speech, back in 2005 when the mobile revolution was just beginning.

HTC has taken the covers off the One M9+, a device that shares the name with the company’s flagship device, but is larger and very different under the hood. Of course, every worthy phone must go against Apple’s smartphones, so today we are putting it in a cage fight with the iPhone 6 Plus. Which […]

HTC has taken the covers off the One M9+, a device that shares the name with the company’s flagship device, but is larger and very different under the hood. Of course, every worthy phone must go against Apple’s smartphones, so today we are putting it in a cage fight with the iPhone 6 Plus. Which of the Pluses will take the crown?

HTC One M9+ specs

Android 5.0

5.2-inch 2560x1440p display

2.2 GHz octa-core MedaTek Herlio X10 processor

3 GB of RAM

32 GB of internal storage

20 MP rear-facing camera with depth sensor

4 MP Ultra Pixel fornt-facing camera

2840 mAh battery

150.99×71.99×9.61 mm

168 grams

iPhone 6 Plus specs

iOS

5.5-inch 1920x1080p Retina Display

1.4 GHz dual-core Apple A8 processor

1 GB of RAM

16/32/64 GB of internal storage

8 MP iSight camera

1.2 MP front-facing camera

2915 mAh battery

158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1 mm

172 grams

Design and build quality

The iPhone 6 may be very famous for its gorgeous looks, but that’s not really saying much when put up against another king of design. HTC is also known for its gorgeous aesthetics and the HTC One M9+ is not falling behind. This HTC handset is wrapped in an aluminum body, featuring that construction we have now come to expect from the manufacturer.

Both phones look good. The iPhone 6 Plus is definitely thinner, though. Where the phones really differentiate themselves is in construction and build quality. Apple’s smartphone is fragile. You remember #bendgate, right? It’s no good news when your phone starts bending for simply carrying it in your pocket.

On the other hand, HTC devices are build like tanks. The HTC One M9+ is just as solid as the One M9 and the One M8… and the One M7. This phone’s design simply emanates strength, and you can feel it from the moment you first hold it.

Display & sound

Here’s something else the iPhone is known for – screen quality. It’s no news that this is nothing but an over-hyped feature. The iPhone 6 Plus comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display. While it’s a very good quality screen, it’s no longer something to write home about in mid-2015.

The HTC One M9+ comes with a 5.2-inch 2560x1440p display (2K), which is a much higher resolution. That Super LCD 3 panel also ensures you get vibrant colors and good brightness.

Which is the winner? It’s a matter of preference. The iPone 6 Plus has a more color accurate screen, but the HTC One M9 will offer better resolution, more vivid colors and a much better sound quality.

By the way, there is no comparison here. The iPhone’s speakers are good, but nothing beats HTC’s mighty dual front-facing BoomSound speakers. There’s no contest there.

Performance

So here’s the real: these phones may look very high-end, but one of them is not really considered a premium smartphone. At least not in every sense. The HTC One M9+ comes with a MediaTek Helio X10 processor. While this is one of MediaTek’s better chips, the Chinese processor maker is still a bit behind. Both phones are very fast and will get things done, but there will be some differences in performance.

We tested the HTC One M9+ with AnTuTu’s benchmark and got a score of 44,547. This is good, as it’s up to par with pretty strong devices like the HTC One M8 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. It’s not high enough to beat the iPhone 6 Plus’ AnTuTu scores, though, which average at about 51,000.

Camera

Apple has one of the best cameras on the market, so it’s hard for any device to compete against it. So far only the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge can compete. Now, this doesn’t mean the HTC One M9+ doesn’t have a good camera.

The HTC One M9+ comes with a 20 MP camera featuring a secondary depth sensor. This will allow you to play around with post-processing and use funner features. The pictures also happen to be pretty good. Do they beat the iPhone’s images? Not really, but you can have more fun with them.

The iPhone does fall behind when it comes to the front-facing camera, though. Apple’s lackluster 1.2 MP front shooter is no competition against HTC’s 4 MP UltraPixel front-facing camera. It will be great under low-light circumstances and offer great quality. In fact, it’s the same camera the One M7 and One M8 had in the rear.

Conclusion

There’s some factors to consider before making the right decision. The HTC One M9+ is a little more mid range (even if it isn’t priced as such), but that is only because of the processor. Everything else on the phone is the epitome of premium quality.

The iPhone 6 offers great looks, a color accurate display, a thin profile and a blazing processor, along with one of the best in-class cameras. Meanwhile, those who opt for an HTC One M9 will get much stronger specs (aside from the processor), a solid construction that happens to look great and the flexibility that Android brings to the table.

In terms of battery, both should be great, but it seems Apple will have the upper hand here. Not only is the iPhone’s battery slightly bigger, but the HTC One M9+ has much more pixels to push.

It’s a matter of preference, and of course, location. This phone is pretty much exclusive to Asia, and it doesn’t seem like that’s changing.

Is your Apple Watch acting up? Maybe you are getting ready to hand it over to its new owner. Either way, your best bet is to perform a factory data reset, which will leave your Apple Watch at the state it was when you first turned it on (software-wise, of course). There’s a couple ways […]

Is your Apple Watch acting up? Maybe you are getting ready to hand it over to its new owner. Either way, your best bet is to perform a factory data reset, which will leave your Apple Watch at the state it was when you first turned it on (software-wise, of course). There’s a couple ways to wipe the Apple Watch, so let’s show you how it’s done!

How to factory reset Apple Watch without using iPhone

Turn your Apple Watch on.

Open the Settings app.

Select “General”.

Select “Reset”.

Finally, tap on “Erase all content and settings”.

Let the watch do its thing for a bit and voila. You are done!

How to factory reset Apple Watch using iPhone

Your iPhone needs to be connected to your Apple Watch before doing this.